Poll

Opinion

Last Wednesday, the day Americans woke up to the results of Tuesday's midterm elections, was also a day of great historical significance in the United States.
It was on Nov. 5, 1872, that voting rights campaigner Susan B. Anthony made history by casting a ballot on election day in Rochester, N.Y., though women had no legal right to vote. That act of defiance resulted in her arrest.

This week, we recognize our veterans and thank them for their selfless service to the United States of America. I join you in honoring all of the brave men and women who have served.
Veterans Day continues to be a very significant day for all of us in Kentucky and the U.S. as we still have so many of our service men and women around the world. Whether they are in a combat zone in the Middle East or deployed to help stem the tide of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the U.S. armed forces continue to defend liberty and help troubled nations all over the world.

There are so many reasons to be thankful for autumn in Kentucky. The brilliant landscape of yellow, orange and red trees. A merciful end to those humid summer days that feel like steamy soup hanging in the air even after sundown. Chili suppers, school festivals and the anticipation of Thanksgiving.

When it comes to keeping history alive, few states can match Kentucky.
The Kentucky Historical Society, for example, will celebrate its 180th birthday in 2016, the same year our country will mark the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. That legislation kicked off the modern era of protecting and promoting the hundreds of thousands of artifacts and sites that, collectively, tell the story of who we are.

All around our community, we see the impact of entrepreneurship. It’s driving innovative new products and services to the market. It’s strengthening our economy. It’s creating new opportunities.
It is certainly worth celebrating. The Lincoln Trail region will do just that during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 17-23.

Fall break was a restful time for many, but for several Marion County High School students, it was an opportunity to get a closer look at the high-demand field of engineering. Thanks to a dynamic partnership in Marion County, 19 students in the school’s Project Lead the Way program participated in a weeklong co-op program, gaining valuable hands-on experience with area employers.

On Thursday, I attended a presentation called "Healthy Future for Our Kids" at the Loretto Motherhouse. Tim Darst of Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light discussed ways people can conserve energy and implement "greener" energy practices.
He noted that issues affecting Kentucky include air, water and soil pollution and climate change.
Now, I know some "I'm not a scientist" politicians want to pretend climate change isn't happening, or that it's just a natural part of the Earth. The evidence would suggest otherwise.

On Veterans Day, we remember the men and women who served in our Armed Forces. Over the next few days, many television channels will air movies that display their courage and character, and all of us can be inspired by these soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

As I write this, I have no idea of the outcome of our election. But, I just want to say how proud I am of Terry Mills and the speech he delivered at Centre Square on Sunday night, Nov. 2, for the way he defended himself and the Democratic Party.Jackie Wicker
Bradfordsville

With the dramatic expansion of the fracking industry in neighboring states and new interest in Kentucky’s deep shale formations, it’s important to look closely at the consequences of fossil fuel use and alternatives for Kentucky.

A letter to the editor in the Oct. 15 edition contained some inaccurate information regarding how long Sen. Rand Paul has lived in Kentucky. Paul married his wife, Kelly Ashby of Russellville, 23 years ago, and Paul has been a practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green for 17 years.

Kentucky Classic Theater is an asset that we hope continues to grow, attract visitors to our community and improve the quality of life in Marion County.

In order to do that, it needs more financial support.

In the past few years, the local theater company has been managed basically by one person, Robin Humphress of Lebanon. Financially, it has been funded through local sponsors and Humphress’s persistence.

For those of you wondering what happened to Carl Briggs, his thoughts are with you. A short while back he suffered a stroke an was admitted to a hospital in Doner, Delaware. Later he was transferred to Silver Lake Center where he is resting comfortably and will remain there for an undetermined amount of time. The stroke was on his left side, and at this point he is coming along well. He is thinking about you all in Lebanon and wishes you well.

Finally the truth about Sen. Mitch McConnell is coming out. With all the money from corporations and billionaires such as the Koch Bros., they are trying to buy the election. So far, it is not working. Even with all the dishonest ads, trying to connect Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to our President, Sen. Harry Reed and saying she is against coal, it isn’t working, because truth wins out.

We are being bombarded with campaign ads that assault our intelligence. A single glance at the litter on the airwaves and in our mailboxes would have us believing that President Obama is on the ballot. He’s not. Like him or not, he remains President of the United States for two more years – and will not be on the ballot again.

Each election season, there is invariably a major issue or two that that becomes so distorted by the political process that it becomes almost unrecognizable. This year, the state’s road funding is at the top of the list. Many of you have received political mailings that the proposed House budget raised the fuel tax. Nothing could be further from the truth.